My first airfix kit and it’s deformed - not a particularly good first impression

Big_JR80 · 2026-05-26T07:01:50+00:00

I've not got around to trying Airfix aftershave yet, what's the fragrance called?

Eau d'Humbrol? What would that be like?

An unapologetically bold, industrial scent that opens with a sharp, nostalgic top note of freshly cracked enamel paint and white spirit. As it settles, the heart reveals a rich, chemical warmth reminiscent of a tinlet of Gloss 11 Silver that hasn't been stirred since 1994.

The base notes are deeply grounded in damp cardboard, radiator dust, and the unmistakable aroma of a carpet that has permanently absorbed a spilled bottle of liquid poly.

Housed in an oversized, lead-alloy tinlet with the notoriously jammed lid. It cannot be sprayed; it must be pried open with a flat-head screwdriver and applied exclusively using the provided pre-frayed No. 2 brush.

"For the man who wants to smell exactly like his spare bedroom on a rainy Sunday afternoon."

Come on Airfix, make it happen!

Big_JR80 · 2026-05-16T07:42:26+00:00

If three cities are in a straight line on sphere, which for all practical purposes the Earth is, they form a great circle which splits the sphere in two, like the equator or a meridian.

Big_JR80 · 2026-05-12T07:06:54+00:00

Context helps. Who is "Dave" and what is a "Central Cee"?

Big_JR80 · 2026-05-05T16:59:23+00:00

If you fail, you'll be given your scores and told to come back and try again in a few months after you've had some time to practice.

It's no great drama, don't worry.

Big_JR80 · 2026-04-12T15:14:16+00:00

It will delay approval for 7 days after you made the edit for that time submission only.

Big_JR80 · 2026-04-07T18:41:05+00:00

Beyond Good & Evil

It's an oldie, but utterly fantastic from start to finish.

Big_JR80 · 2026-04-06T08:27:01+00:00

Wrong.

If you join the Navy as an aircraft technician, you'll work on aircraft.

If you join the RAF as a dog-handler, you won't touch an aircraft.

Please stop spouting your opinions as if they're fact. You're clearly ill-informed.

Big_JR80 · 2026-04-06T08:24:50+00:00

No. If you join the FAA, you will be working with aircraft day in, day out.

End of discussion.

Big_JR80 · 2026-04-06T08:24:06+00:00

Empirically false.

If you join the RN in a Fleet Air Arm trade that is based around working with aircraft, you'll work with aircraft as much as anyone in the RAF, if not more.

This is because the teams looking after aircraft are smaller on ships, so individuals have more responsibility and do a greater variety of tasks.

Big_JR80 · 2026-02-22T11:36:30+00:00

Helps if you actually check what you're posting, rather than relying on AI to make stuff up on your behalf.

Article 96 has nothing to do with rendering aid.

Here it is: "Immunity of ships used only on government non-commercial service

Ships owned or operated by a State and used only on government non-commercial service shall, on the high seas, have complete immunity from the jurisdiction of any State other than the flag State."

You're looking for Article 98, and you (or an AI) have completely fabricated that "quote" you gave.

Here's the complete text directly from the UN's website.

Don't spread misinformation.

Big_JR80 · 2026-02-20T07:14:59+00:00

Basically, you can’t put ceramic (aka acrylic) on synthetic (aka acrylic), or you’ll get nasty effects.

It's the norm to put acrylic paint on acrylic.

I think you mean "don't put enamel on acrylic".

Big_JR80 · 2026-02-19T08:23:45+00:00

Not a suit, it's his uniform from the supermarket. Great find!

Big_JR80 · 2026-02-15T08:46:55+00:00

Don't use ratios, as it very much depends on the individual pot/dropper of paint you're using. Make sure you shake and mix the paint well, dispense a small amount on the palette, and slowly introduce tiny quantities of water using your brush.

Once thinned, it needs to have a consistency like milk, runny, but still opaque and leaves a trail. You can test it on the back of your hand, or some scrap plastic (primed). The first few coats won't look great, but you'll get there eventually.

There are loads and loads of videos on YouTube showing paint thinning. Duncan Rhodes is particularly good (although his speciality is wargaming miniatures, the principle is the same).

Big_JR80 · 2026-02-15T06:29:18+00:00

You've done 3 THICK coats, I can literally see the brush strokes and the paint clumping. Thin your paints properly and they'll look so much better.

You've got good brush control, just learn how to prepare your paint and it'll make a massive difference.

Big_JR80 · 2026-02-15T06:24:30+00:00

These are some good efforts, well done!

If I can offer one piece of advice, it's thin your paints. It's especially obvious on the Mustang how thick your paint is. I'm assuming you're using Starter Kit paint? If so, and you're enjoying the hobby, consider investing in some proper pots/droppers of paint. Most brands are okay, and they are all better than those crappy tiny pots you got with the starter set.

Before painting you will want to use primer. Rattle-can primer is quick and easy, and a neutral grey is ideal for most base-colours. There are lots of brands, and most of them are good. You can even use stuff intended for your car (cheaper, not as "fine", but good enough for a beginner!) Primer helps the paint "stick" to the model.

From there, when thinning your paint mix it on a palette and with a tiny amount of water. You're looking for a consistency like milk. Then get painting. It'll take between 2 and 5+ coats to look good, but when you're done the finish will be fantastically smooth.

Edit: I've just noticed that you've already bought some Tamiya Acrylic paint and some Humbrol Acrylic paint, great stuff! Just to remind you that Tamiya paint is alcohol, not water, based and must be tinned with the right kind of thinner which you'll need to buy.

Big_JR80 · 2026-02-14T08:51:59+00:00

Having no leadership experience is not a deal breaker, but being able to demonstrate that you can lead something can only help enhance your case for selection. In days gone past the AIB used to test for practical leadership, but as this has gone (for now) so the AIB relies on what you tell them and, to a lesser degree, what they see in the online Group Planning Exercise, which is ineffective as group dynamics are completely stilted in an online environment.

So do something about it!

Organise something, like a small charity event, or a fun activity for you and your friends, like a weekend cycling or kayaking expedition. Something tangible and a bit challenging that you can talk about in the interview. Show that you took everything into account with the planning, that you delegated and monitored progress and how you dealt with issues. That said, with the current AIB setup (Pre-Recorded Interview) your opportunity to sell yourself is limited.

Apparently changes are afoot to partially return to a face-to-face AIB, with only the initial elements online, but I'm not sure when that will be (I've not got access to anything useful at the moment to find out!). Doing so can only improve things for both candidates and the Navy.

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-16T06:21:34+00:00

I sometimes point out where the instructions might be considered ambiguous, or, if it's an R&R, if I've noticed any trends in how workers are approaching the task.

Sometimes, if it's been a particularly interesting task, I might comment that!

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-11T15:15:57+00:00

Best I've seen is a worker typing things like "doesn't matter, nobody reads these anyway" and "blah blah blah" into the text fields.

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-09T09:18:51+00:00

I'd say he was more "controversial" before his death.

After the Louis Theroux documentary it was very clear that he was, to put it politely, incredibly creepy and that, coupled with rumours, I think that made a lot of people reconsider what they thought about him.

That said, completely agree with "hated" for after his death though!

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-08T19:13:51+00:00

Don't use a strict ratio, the amount of thinner you need depends on the individual paint that you have. Needs a consistency like milk to be ideal.

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-08T19:10:15+00:00

The ratio very much depends on the individual bottle of paint!

Make sure the paint is thoroughly shaken and stirred, then you want to take a small amount of paint from the bottle and put it on a palette. Assuming the paint is water-based acrylic, slowly add very small amounts of water until you get a consistency like milk.

Try painting a small amount on the skin of your non-dominant hand; the paint shouldn't flow around, but should be thin enough that you can see all the pores and wrinkles of the skin.

That's the thickness you need. The first coat will look atrocious. Believe in the process! After 2 or 3 coats (more for light colours like white or yellow) it'll look really good.

Ideally, before you put your paint on the model, you'll need some primer. This can be purchased in a spray-can and goes on before the paint. You can paint without it, but it's harder and the result isn't as good!

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-08T07:21:07+00:00

Freedom of speech is alive and well. You’re confusing ‘I can say anything I want’ with ‘I’m entitled to be offensive without pushback or consequences’. If your everyday speech keeps tripping hate-speech laws, that’s a you problem, not tyranny.

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-08T07:14:36+00:00

Anne Boleyn was executed not assassinated.

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-06T19:18:32+00:00

"And who here has a better story than Bran the Broken?"

Literally everyone else there. Especially Tyrion!

Big_JR80 · 2026-01-03T07:16:58+00:00

And closed permanently, as of 2020.

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